Greenfinch (chloris chloris)

This beautiful bird is found in both town gardens and parks, and in the countryside. As the name suggests, the male is green with patches of grey and a yellow flash in its wings. The female is brown but does have the same yellow flash as the male. Like all finches, greenfinches have powerful beaks which help them to crack open seeds. They will eat berries, but they generally prefer seeds!

Greenfinch numbers have been on a rollercoaster over the past fifty years. In the 1970s and 80s, it was classified as endangered. Then in the 1990s, its numbers started to rise. Unfortunately that is not the end of the story, a parasite called trichomonas gallinae started to infect the population of greenfinches and chaffinches. This parasite attacks the throat of birds, making it difficult for them to feed properly. This is one of the reasons why you should clean out bird baths and bird feeders regularly.